Meet Our Artisan Partners

We partner with women-led artisan cooperatives in search of a better future for themselves, their families and communities.

AMPARO DE LEÓN DE RUBIO

Passionate about improving opportunity and livelihood for women, Amparo is the current president of a cooperative of 400 weavers across the highlands of Guatemala. Amparo's father died when she was 11 years old, leaving her mother and siblings destitute. Amparo learnt to weave to support her family and has devoted her life to empowering women.

As Amparo can read, write and speak in Spanish, she explains that she is lucky as the majority of weavers represented by Trama are illiterate. Amparo has worked with the cooperative for over 23 years.

ORALIA CHOPEN

As the vice-president of Trama, Oralia's dream is to fully employ the 400 women who work with the cooperative. For Oralia, paying women a fair wage for their products is incredibly rewarding as it has a direct impact on empowering women within the community.

Oralia joined the cooperative as a teenager, encouraged to pursue the cooperative’s mission by her father’s passion to help women affected by the civil war. Oralia lives in Xela with her family and in addition to managing the cooperative she teaches weaving at the Trama office.

ELENA BRITO

Focused and committed with her community Elena coordinates the work of 510 weavers members of the Ixil Mayan cooperative founded 10 years ago in Quiché. Her mother taught her to weave when she was 9 years old as a family tradition.

Elena speaks Spanish, can read, write and use the computer. Elena's dream is to women in her community be economically independent so they can provide better opportunities for their children.